Portrait: Audrey
I didn’t initially know what was happening when I awoke from sleep with the worst headache of my life. I wanted to get up, but I had trouble standing. Then, the vomiting began. Luckily, my husband took me to the emergency room where a scan revealed the cause: a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Where Audrey’s story begins
I didn’t initially know what was happening when I awoke from sleep with the worst headache of my life. I wanted to get up, but I had trouble standing. Then, the vomiting began. Luckily, my husband took me to the emergency room where a scan revealed the cause: a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Time was precious, and my window for available surgery was slim. I was flown by air ambulance to a neurological center at a metropolitan hospital where a neurosurgeon performed life-saving surgery.
I remember nothing of the first twenty-four hours, little in those first days. I was bedridden and weak, with a partially shaved head and a gnarly scalp scar. I had a hard time looking at myself in a mirror but an even harder time performing basic tasks: brushing my teeth, combing my hair, and reading sentences. I had to crawl back to normalcy, and with the help of caring, attentive nursing staff, I was able to do that.
Tougher than the Mother of Dragons
I found out later that, when my family was contacted, my sister-in-law channeled optimism that I would be fine. She’s a Game of Thrones fan, and actress Emilia Clarke, who plays Daenerys Targaryen (also known as Khaleesi, the Mother of Dragons), suffered two brain aneurysms, one while filming the first season of the series. We had the same type of potentially fatal ruptured aneurysm.
“You’re tougher than the Mother of Dragons,” my sister-in-law contended. I didn’t know if I had the strength at the time, but I was intent on trying to live up to her expectation because I did aspire to be as tough as Khaleesi. That’s the mantra I adopted in recovery.
And I found the strength.
Recovery took over my life
I was discharged home after additional surgery and a nearly three-week hospital stay. I couldn’t drive, needed a walker, and assistance to shower. I had lost weight, battled lingering vasospasm headaches, and nursed painful scars and bruising. I had to stop teaching as a college professor in order to focus on my health. Recovery was my full-time job.
My home environment became my whole life. I exercised by walking in circles around the living room, then eventually moved to the driveway, and then was strong enough to go to the mailbox. I left the house for necessary medical appointments only. I nursed my brain by reading short articles, then lengthened my focus to essays, short stories, and eventually novels. I set small goals and celebrated my milestones.
Where I am today
Thanks to scientific advancements and my tougher-than-the-mother-of-dragons approach, I’ve turned a corner.
Life after a traumatic brain injury is possible. It looks different for different people, but all survivors should do what they can to stay resilient, channeling toughness from the Mother of Dragons and SameYou.